Safe in the Arms of Love
by lechymonk
Summary: Koumyou Sanzo hears a voice while he's out on his daily walk. Koumyou Sanzo centric story. Not yaoi and no pairings.


"Papa's here, little one."

Koumyou Sanzo kicked off from the floor again, his legs cramping up from spending the last hour rocking the little baby he'd found floating in the river. The baby wouldn't stop crying, it's cries getting stronger and louder, which was a good thing. The little one had been struggling to breathe when Koumyou brought him out of the rapidly flowing river. However, his constant screaming was now giving Koumyou a splitting headache.

"Cry all you want, Kouryuu. Get that nasty water up and out."

Kouryuu. The name came from the river the baby was found floating in. Koumyou Sanzo had been out for his afternoon smoke when he'd spied a little boat on the river, sinking quickly under the flow of the river. Thinking that it was a boat that a village child had lost, Koumyou gave it no more thought as he walked.

The little boat his mother had set him afloat in, had almost disappeared under water when Koumyou heard a voice in his head. Running towards the bank, Koumyou spied a outstretched hand, the last part of the baby that was above the water. Wading in, going against the hard and fast flow of the dirty water, Koumyou prayed to the Merciful Goddess that he would make it in time.

The hand disappeared and Koumyou surged forwards, his body being driven by a force which he didn't understand or recognize and he plunged into the water. Searching blindly, seeming as if time had slowed down to almost a stop, Koumyou finally felt the tiny fingers surround his thumb. Chest burning from lack of oxygen, Koumyou shot to the surface, squeezing the baby accidentally around his belly, forcing cupfuls of water from his lungs and belly.

Kouryuu started coughing again, the sound tearing at Koumyou's heart and bring his mind back to the present. Putting his ear to Kouryuu's chest, he was relieved to hear that the wheezing that had been so loud earlier, wasn't as bad now. For the first half an hour after Koumyou brought the blond baby to his room, he wasn't sure if the babe would die or live.

Not normally a violent man, he would have dearly loved to find the parents and rip their hearts out for what they put this precious child through. Turning Kouryuu on his belly, his little legs dangling on each side of Koumyou's arm, he gently patted Kouryuu's back.

Black, smelly river water trickled from the baby's mouth. Wrinkling his nose at the smell, Koumyou continued to pat Kouryuu's back, moving from the bottom of his spine to his shoulders. Perhaps this pattern of pats would move the water from the babe's stomach and lungs quicker. Little legs kicked as Kouryuu coughed more water up, mucus mixing with the river water.

The coughing spasm passed and the blond baby calmed some. Smiling at the suckling sound, he knew Kouryuu had his tiny thumb in his mouth again. The front of his robes were wet with a horrid mixture of water, mucus and heaven knew what else but Koumyou didn't want to stop rocking to change them. He continued to rock the baby, softly singing to him, calming the babe down with a song that Koumyou learned long ago. Perhaps Kouryuu's mother had sung it to him for the babe seemed to like the song.

Gently turning Kouryuu on his back once more, Koumyou continued to sing. Kouryuu's breathing seemed a little easier. Almost no wheezing could be heard with each inhaled breath. In a few hours, Koumyou would make a steam tent and sit in it with Kouryuu. That would help bring the rest of the gunk in his chest up and out. A knock at the door made him pause for a second.

"Come in."

An acolyte poked his head in the room, a look of surprise on his face.

"Master, someone told me you brought a baby here." The young man, not very far into his training, came into the room, shutting the door behind him. "Why in the world are you taking care of it?"

Koumyou watched with a smile as Kouryuu's face puckered up, a sure sign that he was going to cry again. "Because he called to me." Stroking the infant's cheek, Koumyou continued to rock in the huge rocking chair, turning Kouryuu's face away from him, just in case Kouryuu threw up again.

The acolyte frowned. This was Master Koumyou Sanzo, one of the most revered priests in all of the land! What in the world was he thinking, taking care of an abandoned baby like this? Disgusting little thing, coughing up junk all over Master Koumyou's robes. The acolyte shook his head at his Master's behavior. This was all wrong.

"Master, give the child to me." The bald teenager reached out to grab Kouryuu but a steely look from Koumyou stopped him.

"I appreciate your offer but leave us."

Not deterred by Master Sanzo's attitude, the acolyte grabbed Kouryuu and was just about to take him from Koumyou's arms, when a hand closed around his wrist. The acolyte almost screamed from the feeling of his wrist bones grinding together.

"Please, leave us. I won't ask you again." Koumyou smiled but it was a cold smile. He didn't give a damn what the others around here thought of him. Kouryuu called to him for a reason. Koumyou was sure this was the work of Kanzeon Bosatsu and who was he to question the whys and hows of her way of thinking.

Cradling his aching wrist to his chest, the acolyte nodded and backed up to the door. A few more seconds of that and Master Sanzo would have surely broken his wrist. Fumbling with the knob, he finally got it open and was out the door in a flash. He would have to warn the other acolytes that there was something wrong with Master Sanzo.

Koumyou put Kouryuu over his shoulder and got out of the rocking chair. The babe needed something to eat and since all they had was regular cow's milk, he'd have to find a wet nurse for the babe. If he remembered correctly, a woman in the nearby town had recently lost her newborn daughter and husband in a strange youkai attack.

Bundling up Kouryuu in blankets, making sure he was nice and warm, Koumyou lay the babe down on his bed to get himself ready. Kouryuu's little rosebud mouth opened and closed as if he was searching for a nipple and when he didn't find one, he started wailing again.

Koumyou smiled and picked up the babe again. Soon, the monastery would be in an even bigger upheaval when he brought back a wet nurse for his son. His son. Koumyou liked the sound of that, his son. Laughing lightly, Koumyou thought of a few monks that might be coming to see Kouryuu, hoping to get a glimpse of a naked breast as a bonus.

The movement of Koumyou walking calmed Kouryuu down again. He looked into the babe's face, Kouryuu's eyes opening for a minute. Bright, almost violet eyes looked at him, stunning Koumyou into silence, his heart clenching in fear or excitement, he couldn't tell. The sunlight pouring through the wavy glass window must be playing tricks with his eyes. Babies eyes were always blue at first, not this intense violet color. Only the gods had eyes that color, if Koumyou's memory served him right.

From the moment he spied the baby floating on a drowning boat, Koumyou knew he'd risk his life to save this child. A protective instinct, one almost animalistic, crawled through Koumyou's blood, as he'd waded through the murky water. He would do anything for his son to ensure his safety. Icy cold fingers of dread ran their way up and down his spine as if destiny was whispering it's evil prophesy into Koumyou's ear.

_Some day, some day_

Kouryuu sneezed, waking Koumyou from his trance. The whispers drifted away as if they were a ghost. Shaking his head at the morbid thoughts, Koumyou chided himself for being a silly old man. There was no such thing as destiny. One made their own future and he and Kouryuu's future would be wonderful.

Kouryuu cooed at Koumyou, the sound brushing the fingers of fear away and back to hell, where they belonged. Everything would be alright, Koumyou was sure of it. After all, the gods wouldn't be so cruel to the babe by not only taking away his parents but taking away the one who answered his call.

Would they?


End file.
